Britain feared for its Asian markets, not Mediterranean ones, on Egypt

Evidence

Ultimately Palmerston’s greatest concern was for British possessions in Asia; his greatest fear was that Russia might interfere there. In other words, what was at stake was the British market in Asia rather than the much smaller ones in the eastern Mediterranean. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1537

Categorization

• XREF: Identifies the actual British strategic stakes in the Eastern Question.